3DTotal: What sort of response did you get back from friends, as well as the readers of Maxim for creating her?
Liam: All the responses I’ve had from the Maxim cyberbabe were positive and kind, though the most interesting comments are always the ones from weblog/forum websites where I find images of mine have been posted by other people. The responding comments are always truthful (because they are not addressed to me personally, but to the other forum members), and can be quite brutal - which I actually like. Recently one of my images appeared on a hair-style/cosmetics forum, and some of the responses from the other members were pretty caustic. It was like my creation had been fed to a pack of lions.

   
3DTotal:Could you give a little bit of information about your current project ‘The Normals’?
Liam: The Normals is my next animated project that I’ve been working on for the past 3 years. It will feature lip-sync (my first attempt at this), and will be almost a comedy. I have so far created my own muscle/facial system which has taken me 8 months to research and build, and have finished a test animation piece to show off the results of this. The characters are now all complete, and animation has already begun. The movie is scheduled for completion by the end of 2008 where it will do the festival circuit as well as being pitched to TV companies as a pilot for a comedy sketch show. My website will be relaunched in January with new material from The Normals.

3DTotal: Who and what have been your major sources of inspiration over the years?
Liam: When I used to illustrate with paint and brushes as a student, it was the S.F artist Jim Burns who played a major part in my choice of medium, subject matter and composition. I loved the way that his paintings featured people either in the middle of doing something or simply just staring right back at you. His work had shaped the way I approached image making for many years. When I gave up illustrating to move into 3D, I felt quite alone as there wasn’t quite the history of talent that traditional art had offered, and I had no connection to the outside world of 3D whatsoever. This, I think was advantageous as I was able to produce work that bared no resemblance to other artists styles, and forced me to draw inspiration from life around me.
   
 
3DTotal: How did you relax after creating something as big as ‘This Wonderful Life’
Liam: I hadn’t slept for 2 and a half days leading up to the completion of This Wonderful Life, and so just a couple of hours after I finally switched off my PC’s I fell asleep in a chair with a cup of tea still in my hand. That was the last relaxing moment I had before having to get ready to move house in time to start my new job at Core Design many miles away. It then took a year and a half for me to replenish myself in order to start work on my next project, The Normals .

3DTotal: What do you think you will be doing 10 years from now?
Liam: I have a habit of exhausting my interest in any creative genre after a period of a few years, and if I’m unable to stretch myself any further I tend to move onto something else. I’ve been working in 3D for several years now, and feel that with The Normals I’ll reach a kind of plateau of achievement that I will never surpass. It’s the first time I’ve felt like this about working in 3D, and I know that I’ll never make a bigger personal leap than what I’ve done with The Normals. In 10 years time I’ve a feeling that I’ll discover a new creative interest I’ve not yet realised, and will be learning the process in much the same way that 8 years ago I was just discovering what 3D graphics were all about.

3DTotal: Well it has been a pleasure talking with you and I hope everything goes will with ‘The Normals’ and please keep us posted. One last thing before you go, what advice would you give anyone that is think of following in your footsteps?
 
Liam: Thank you for the well wishes, and yes, I’ll keep you informed of my progress with ‘The Normals’. As for advice, I would say that if you really are passionate about making a movie, then you must just do it. There is nothing worse than living with regrets about not taking your chances when you had them, and if you feel you don’t have sufficient spare time - if you care about CG art enough you will make the time. Lastly, get it into your mind that once you start a project, there is no going back - you no longer have the option to quit.  
 
 
 
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